Mooring line driving gear



March 29, 1966 Filed April 13,- 1964 KIYOSHI SHIBATA MOORING LINE DRIVING GEAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A /)d5/// 5/054 74 March 29, 1966 os s l 3,243,090

MOORING LINE DRIVING GEAR Filed April 13, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOR' Mrmw/ 534/54 7:4

74 f w ATTGEA/EYJ March 1966 KIYOSHI SHIBATA MOORING LINE DRIVING GEAR 4-. Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTOR A h dsfi/ AS77054 7:4

BY a/ wdy m ATTORN EYS March 29, 1966 KlY OSHl SHIBATA 3,243,090

MOORING LINE DRIVING GEAR Filed April 13, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 T1 c; E. 44 28 O I 7 37 so INVENTOR A nvosy/ 5205A r4 United States Patent Ofi ice 3,243,090 MOORING LINE DRIVING GEAR Kiyoslii Shibata, Sakae-machi, Soka-shi, Japan, assignor to Isiiikawajima-Harima Jnkogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo-to, Japan, a company of Japan Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,369 Claims priority, application Japan, July 27, 1963, 38/ 56,241 1 Claim. (Cl. 226-181) The object of the present invention is to provide a gear for stretching mooring lines that can save time and labor with perfect results.

On entering port, ships are moored to the quay by tying the mooring lines to the bitts on the quay with the help of a rope ferry. In the case of large ships, mooring lines are very heavy, requiring much labor, and as they are usually kept under the deck, they must be brought up on the deck through the rope hatch before entering port. The above described mooring operations require considerable labor to perform.

The invention is characterized in that it comprises the driving sheave or roller powered by a motor, and a follower sheave or roller so arranged as to hold a mooring line in between, and drive forth the line as the driving sheave or roller rotates.

Embodiments of the present invention are explained in reference to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is the side view of an embodiment of the present invention when the constant tension winch, the Wire reel, etc. are installed under the deck.

FIG. 2 is the plan of an embodiment so constructed as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents another type of embodiment of the invention with the constant tension winch, etc. under the deck as the case shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is the cross section of the embodiment along the line I-l in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the mooring arrangement when the gear shown in FIG. 1 or 3 is set up on the after deck.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory side view of FIG. 5, showing part of the arrangement.

FIG. 7 is the side view of the gear according to the invention where the capstans, the wire reels, etc. are located on the deck.

FIG. 8 is the top view along the line IIll in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is the cross section of the embodiment along the line IIlIII in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 shows the way how to stretch the mooring lines in the case where the gear shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is installed on the after deck.

From the engineering viewpoint, it is advisable to set up different models, according to the particular situations, that is, whether the constant tension winch, the wire reel, etc. are located under the deck or on the deck; the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is adapted to the former case while the other explained in FIGS. 7 to 10 is suited to the latter case.

(1) Case of a large ship where the constant tension winch, the wire reel, and so on are installed under the deck (FIGS. 1 to 6) (i) Application of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.ln FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 is the revolvable body consisting of identical halves, joined together with bolts 2. Said body 1 is rotationally supported with the support 3 with the bearing 4 in between, and an O-ring 5 is fitted to make it water-tight. The support 3 is fixed around a hole in the deck 6 to fit it in.

Within the body 1 are set up the flights of sheaves 7 and the guide rollers 8, between which passes the moor ing line 13 to run between the associated sheaves 9 and 10, and further down to the drum of the tension winch not shown.

The associated sheaves 9 and 10 drive up the line 13; the driving sheave 10 is mounted on the fixed shaft 15 while the axles 16 of the follower sheave 9 is springloaded and can grip the line 13 in between.

The driving sheave 10 coupled with a hydraulic motor 12 or the like sends forth the line 13 from the tension winch 14 at the speed proportionate to that of the motor to keep the line 13 tense.

At the end of the embodiment, the water-tight cover 50 is fitted and the opening is closed to keep out water from the casing and the interior during the operation.

In the application of the invention, the gears A shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 should be installed on the deck 6; the direction in which the line 13 is to be stretched must be predetermined and the line 13 be brought to the broadside accordingly. On entering port, the winch should be rotated in the reverse direction and the motor 12 be turned at the proportionate speed in order to drive out the line 13 by the sheaves 9 and 10, and when the line 13 has been tied to the bollard or bitt on the quay through the fairleaders 17 and the mooring pipes 18, the winch is rotated in the regular direction, and the line 13, although pressed against the flight of idler sheaves 7, can be rewound to pull the ship to the quay, because the lines are so stretched as shown in the drawing. At this time the sheaves 9 and 10, although pressed against the line 13 by dint of the springs, do not aifect significantly the tension of the lines 13 because the motor 12, being not powered, turns idly.

(ii) Application of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.The driving sheave 19 is rigidly fixed onto the shaft 21 driven by the motor 22 through the reduction gearing 23. The mooring line 13, after going through the deck 6, passes between the driving sheave 19 and the associated follower sheave 20, which is pressed by the springs 24 against the line 13 so that it can be gripped by the sheaves 19 and 20.

The casing 26 that houses the sheaves 19 and 20, is mounted on the base 25 on the deck 6, allowing the casing 26 to pivot around the vertical axis C. The gate has a lid 27 to enclose the gate while out of operation, to

keep out water from the casing and the interior.

When the motor 22 runs, the driving sheave 19 rotates in the direction of the arrow at. The line 13 adequately pressed against the driving sheave 19 by the follower sheave 20 is driven forth by the driver 19 in the direction indicated by the arrow d; thus, the line 13 runs up from under the deck 6. The follower sheave 20 turns in the direction of the arrow b as the line runs.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the gears B explained in FIGS. 3 and 4, are positioned on the deck 6 while under the deck 6 are installed the constant tension winches and the wire reels. As the motor 22 is coupled with the gears B, the lines 13 are pulled up on the deck 6, and when handled as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the casing 26 of the gears B turn on the bases 25 pulled by the lines 13 as shown in the drawing.

(11) Case where the winches and reels are conventionally set on the deck (FIGS. 7 to 10) Power is transmitted from the motor 31 by means of the gear wheels 32 and 33 to the shaft 30, to which is rigidly fixed the driving roller 28, mounted on the body 35 that has the axle 36 on one side, allowing its pivotal movement, and a wheel 37 on the other side, running on the deck 34.

On the body 35 is mounted a housing 38 that pivots around the axle 39, and which has a follower 29 whose axle 40 is pivotally fitted and can freely trip along the guide slot 41. The handle 42 is fixed on the housing 38 3,243,090 Patented Mar. 29, 1956 and pivots around the axle 43. When the handle 42 is pulled in the direction of the arrow e, it comes off the stopper, and moves the housing 38 in the direction of the arrow f, carrying the follower 29 with it away from the driving roller 28, allowing the insertion of the line 13 between them.

The surfaces of the rollers may optionally be covered with such resilient material as rubber that allows the line 13 to sink somewhat to assure their grip of the line 13.

After the end of the mooring line 13 is put between the driving roller 28 and the follower 29, the motor 31 is started, and the driving roller 28 turns in the direction of the arrow g, sending out the line 13. This makes the follower 29 turn and at the same time the axle 40 of the follower 29 roll along the rail 44 and trip in the slot 41 in the direction of the arrow 12, pressing the line 13 against the driving roller 28, which makes the rollers 28 and 29 grip securely the line 13, and driving it forth.

In the case of re-wincling, a little pull at the line 13 in the direction of the arrow i makes the axle 40 of the follower 29 slide back in the direction of the arrow 1', letting the line 13 loose from the grip of the rollers 28 and 29, and allowing free pull of the line 13 in the direction of the arrow i.

As shown in FIG. 10, the gear C is positioned in front of the fairleader 45 on the deck, allowing it to pivot about the axle 36. The line 13, after fixed to the drum of the capstan 46 or the like, is passed between the driver 28 and the follower 29, and through the fairleader 45 out of the ship.

After the capstan is declutched, the motor 31 is started to drive out the line 13 with the rollers 28 and 29 as explained in the foregoing part. When the line 13 is adequately sent out, the motor 31 is stipped, and the end of the line 13 is tied to the bitt on the quay. Then the cap stan 46 is engaged by the clutch to wind up the line 13, which is free of the grip by the rollers 28 and 29 now.

The use of the gear according to the present invention is featured with freedom from laborious work experienced in handling heavy mooring lines, higher efliciency and dependability by virtue of mechanical power although consuming much less labor. In addition, the gear according to the invention is characterized by simple construction, ease to install and handle with and dependable performance, in addition to low costs.

With the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gear having a flight of sheaves and a freely revolvable body, can be constructed very compactly because the tension of the mooring line despite the direction can be divided on several sheaves which are arranged in a great curvature. Thus, it is featured with low production costs and exact performance in driving out the line.

I claim:

A driving apparatus for controlling a mooring line comprising in combination: a support, a housing pivotally mounted on said support and having an entry and exit port for receiving said line, a plurality of guide sheaves pivotally mounted in said housing for guiding said line between said entry and exit ports, a plurality of guide rollers pivotally mounted within said housing intermediate said guide sheaves for maintaining said line in contact with said guide sheaves, a driving sheave pivotally mounted to said support and in contact with said line, a drive motor coupled to said driving sheave for applying rotation thereto, a follower sheave pivotally and slidably mounted to said support adjacent to said line, spring means for urging said follower against said line in communication with said driving sheave so that said line may be retrieved or payed out responsive to the operation of said drive motor.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,766 7/1909 Johnstone 254 X 2,926,001 2/1960 Mack 242-l57 X 3,073,074 2/1963 Benedict 226188 X 3,100,626 8/1963 Good 226188 X M. HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. REEVES, Examiner.

R. A. SCHACHER, Assistant Examiner. 

